Feed-water heater



(No Model.)

H. FAIRBANKS.

FEED WATER HEATER. I No. 337,756. Patented Mar. 9, 1886.

1 un m I 4 110/7 1 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY FAIRBANKS, OF ST. J OHNSBURY, VERMONT, ASSIGNOR TO THE FEED-\VATER HEATER COMPANY, OF PORTLAND, MAINE.

FEED-WATER HEATER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 337,756, dated March 9, 1886.

Application filed October '26, 1885. Serial No.180,943. No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HENRY FAIRBANKS, of St. Johnsbury, in the county of Caledonia and State of Vermont, have invented a new Improvement in Feed-Water Heaters; and I do hereby declare the following, when taken in connection with accompanying drawings, and the letters of reference marked thereon, to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, and which said drawings constitute part of this specification, and represent, in-

Figure 1, a longitudinal central section through the casing, showing side view of the water-tubes; Fig. 2, an inlet end View with the head removed; Fig. 3, a top view in partial section, showing the lower series of tubes with the manifold or chamber from which they extend; Fig. 4, a vertical central section through the air-inlet valve, full size.

This invention relates to an improvement in feed water heaters specially adapted for 10- comotives, and in which the exhaust-steam is employed as the medium for heating thefeedwater, the object being a simple and effective heater adapted to be applied to a locomotive under the boiler; and it consists in the construction as hereinafter described, and more particularly recited in the claims.

A represents the case which forms the heater-chamber. It is provided with a head, B, at one end, and a like head, 0, at the opposite end, so that the ease forms a close chamber. At one end-say Btwoinlets, D E, are made to receive the exhaust-steam as it comes from the respective cylinders, so that the steam is freely admitted into the heater-chamber. Near the opposite end of the heating-chamber a water receiving chamber, F, is arranged horizontally across the chamber and upon its lower side. Into this chamberF the cold water is forced through a passage, G.

1 is an air-chamber in connection with the chamber F by a passage, H. preferably arranged above the chamber F, as shown, and for the usual purpose for which an air-chamber is employed. I

From the chamber F, and which may be properly calleda manifold, severaltubes,J, (here represented as five,) lead. These tubes are arranged in a horizontal plane, and extend toward the opposite end. To the end of each united in the manifold R.

of these tubes a return-bend, K, is attached, and to each bend asimilar tube, L, is attached by one end, and extends toward the opposite end of the chamber parallel with the tubes J.

through the manifold F, distributed to the several tubes J of the first series, thence through the bends K to the second series, L, thence through the bends M to the third series, N, thence through the bends O to the last series, P, thence to the manifold R, where the several currents join, and thence through the tube S to the boiler. All the tubes of the several series being exposed to the exhaust-steam in the chamber, the water becomes heated to a very high degree in its circuitous passagefrom one manifold, F, where it enters, to the other manifold, R, from whence it passes to the boiler. The first manifold distributes the wa ter from the single entrance G to the several tubes of the series, the current through each tube continued through the bends and corresponding tubes, the several currents being The manifolds and the bends are provided withv plugs a upon their outside and opposite the entrance of the tubes, by which access may be had to the manifolds and bends and to the ends of the tubes without removing the tubes themselves. The water of condensation passes off through an escape-passage, T.

v The tubes aresupported in the chamber by lugs or ribs 1) on the head B, which stands between the heads ofthe plugs or a in the bends. At the other end the manifolds are well supported by the tubes which pass through the head. The bends'M are supported by a flange or lugs, d, on the air-chamber, adapted to stand between the heads a of the plugs at that end.

The force necessarily exerted by the pump in driving the water through the heater of a locomotive-boiler, or boiler of very high pressure, is so great that the volume of air contained in the air-chamber is so reduced that the cushion is too small to be effective. To obviate this difficulty and replenish the airchamber, I take advantage of the reaction of the column of water at each stroke of the pump,'for under such a high pressure as necessary from the pump to force water through the heater to the boiler, as the plunger commences its return-stroke the reaction will produce a vacuum between" the heater and the pump, and that this vacuum may permit air to flow into the tubes back of the air-chamber I introduce at the inlet-tube a valve-opening inward into the tube. This valve is shown in full size, Fig. 4, and consists of a plug, 6, in which is the valve-chamberf. In this valvechamber there stands a free puppet-valve, h, resting upon a seat, and preferably from the valve-chamber a tube, 2', turns inward toward the flow of water, the arrow, Fig. 4E, indicating the direction of flow into the heater-tubes. The pressure of the water within the tubes is upon the valve, the valve-chamber opening to the atmosphere below the valve. WVhenever, then, a vacuum occurs under the reaction of the column of water, the valve it will risefrom its seat and permitabubble of air to enter the water-passage, from whence it will follow into the manifold F, and thence to the air-chamber opening therefrom, the valve immediately closing, and thus by a bubble of air at each stroke of the pump the air-chamber will be constantly replenished and maintained. It is desirable that a petcock shall be applied at some point to allow the water to be drawn out in frosty weather. The same valve It may be utilized for this purpose by applying a device bywhich t-hevalvemay be mechanically raised. This is best done by a transverse shaft, Z, introduced below the shaft through a cap, m, applied to the bottom of the plug, the said shaft carrying a cam, n, below the valve, and provided outside the casing with a suitable handle, r, so that the cam may be turned and raise the valve to open the passage, that water may flow through the valve and outward. Thus the valve serves the double purpose of an air-inlet and a petcock.

1. The herein-described feed-water heat-er forlocomotives, consisting of the case A, provided with heads B C,.forming asteam-chamber, inlet-passages D E leading to said chamber and adapted to communicate with the respective exhaust-passages of the locomotive to receive the exhaust-steam, combined with a manifold, F, within said chamber having an inlet, G, leading thereto to receive the water, a series of tubes, J, in a horizontal plane leading from said manifold F, each tube of said series terminating at the opposite end of the chamber in return-bend K, a second like series of tubes, L, each leading from one of parallel with the first series, J, said tubes L each terminating in a return-bend, M, a third like series of tubes, N, leading from said return-bends M toward the opposite end of the cylinder and substantially parallel with the series L, the said tubes N each terminating in a return-bend, O, a fourth series of tubes, P,

leading from the said return-bends O to a second manifold, It, an exit, S, from said manifold R, and an airchamber, I, in connection with the first or entrance manifold, F, and within the chamber, substantially as described.

2. The combination of the case A, its two heads, B 0, closing the ends of the case and forming a steam-chamber, inlets D E to said chamber adapted to receive the exhaust-steam from the respective exhaust-passages, the two manifolds F R, arranged within said chamber, the manifold F provided withan inlet, G, to receive water, and the manifold R with an exit, S, through which the water escapes, an air-chamber, I, in connection with said manifold F, four parallel horizontal series of tubes, the first leading from the manifold F to return-bends into the second series, and the second series through return-bends into the third series, and the third series through return-bends into the fourth series, and the fourth series into the second manifold, R, lugsb b on the one head, 13, arranged to set between corresponding projections, a, on the return-bends at that end, and the air-chamber constructed with like lugs d, adapted to rest between projec tions a a on the return-bends of the central series at that end, substantially as described.

3. In a steam-heater consisting of a chamber adapted to receive steam as a heating medium, a series of water-conducting tubes with in said chamber, with an inlet and an outlet therefrom for the supply and dischargeof water, an air-chamber in connection with the inlet-passage, and a valve arranged in said inlet-passage and between the pump and said air-chamber, opening inward from the atmosphere outside and so as .to admit air into said passage, substantially as described.

4. In a steam-heater consisting of a chamber adapted to receive steam as a heating medium, a series of water-conducting tubes within said chamber with an inlet and outlet therefrom for the supply and discharge of water, an air-chamber in connection with the inlet-passage, and a valve arranged in said inlet-passage, between the pump and said airchamber, and opening inward from the atmosphere outside, and so as to admit air into said passage, with a device substantially such as described to mechanically open said valve, and thereby open a passage from the inletpassage to the atmosphere, substantially as described.

HENRY FAIRBANKS. \lfitnesses:

DENNIS E. MAY, EDWARD A. VVALKER. 

